Katie Yamamura set the school all-around record of 39.225 vs. Sacramento State in March.(Mark Honbo, Athletics Communications)

June 7, 2012

DAVIS, Calif. -
UC Davis gymnast Katie Yamamura was chosen to the Capital One Academic All-America second team, it was announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday. She becomes the first Aggie gymnast to capture such honors since Poppy Major made the Academic All-America third team in 2000-01.

Yamamura advanced from the Academic All-District team, announced in mid-May. This continues a string of scholar-athlete honors for the junior from Palo Alto. She made the MPSF All-Academic squad in April, won the All-District VIII nod in May, then was bestowed with the university's William P. Lindley Award as UC Davis' top achiever in athletics, academics and community leadership.

To be nominated for CoSIDA's awards program, a student-athlete must be a starter or "important reserve" with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or better. Furthermore, he/she must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's contests, must have attended his/her current institution for a full calendar year and must have reached sophomore or later academic standing. Yamamura holds a 3.96 GPA in neurobiology, physiology and behavior.

Yamamura enjoyed an outstanding junior season in 2012, rebounding from an injury-plagued sophomore year. She earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors in each of the four events plus the all-around, a feat that culminated in an MPSF Gymnast of the Year award. Throughout the year, she picked up six MPSF Gymnast of the Week awards and amassed the league's highest regional-qualifying scores on vault, bars and all-around. Yamamura finished the year with MPSF individual titles on vault and uneven bars, then made her second career trip to the NCAA region championship. Among the highlights of her season was a school-record 39.225 all-around score at Sacramento State, one of four scores of 39 or better during the year. UC Davis women's gymnastics won the MPSF team title with a season-high 193.675.

Yamamura is one of two UC Davis student-athletes to achieve Capital One Academic All-America status this year. Soccer player Mustafa Chopan made the third team, coincidentally with an identical GPA and major as Yamamura.